FIFA urged to probe Qatar World Cup claims

The Fédération Internationale de Football Association, FIFA has been urged to start an investigation amid claims world football’s governing body was offered a secret television deal by Qatar’s state-run broadcaster Al-Jazeera just three weeks before it awarded the 2022 World Cup to the Gulf state.

Sunday Times also alleges that a further $480 m was offered by Qatar three years later.

Damien Collins, who is the chairman of the British government’s digital, culture, media and sport committee, called on FIFA to freeze the payments from Al Jazeera and launch an investigation into the apparent contract that “appears to be in clear breach of the rules”.

In an email response to questions from the Sunday Times on Friday, FIFA wrote that “allegations linked to the FIFA World Cup 2022 bid have already been extensively commented by FIFA, who in June 2017 published the Garcia report in full on FIFA.com.”